Friday, August 7, 2009

A Western 5th Dig

It was almost 20 years ago when I dug this bottle. Itcame from an area where I had accessed all but one70s house on the entire block (14 yards) over a twoyear period. The one place I tried for over a year toget into sat in the middle of the block, it was alarge two story Italianate rental. Each time I askedit was the same story from the renters; "You'll haveto talk to the property management Co." I was hopingover time I'd get a loose tenant permission but itwasn't happening and my patience was running out.Being in this yard was key because it containedaccess to a back property line for a house facing theopposite direction and two side properties onlyaccessible from this one yard and all from the 1870s.Back in those days there were so many un-dug yardsand permissions so easy to get that rarely would I gofar out of my way for a permission. With fewer &fewer places left to search I ended up one day goingin to see the owner of the management company and askabout a little recreational privy digging. The ownerturned out to be totally cool guy and the bonus washe liked bottles. Permission was granted so westarted in. We dug there for a full week and got 7holes for three different properties. After a coupleof days it started feeling like a job where we'darrive by 8 in the morning and work all day for anentire week. On the last day my buddy Jack was in ahole digging and I was on top being rather bored bynot doing anything. I decided I'd take my 8' probeand shove it down all my 6' probe holes I madeangling under the back property earlier. On about thethird shot it was; snap, pop, pow, a deep one underthe back neighbors fence where the trash started at alittle over 6'. There was an area between the fenceand a slab just wide enough to pull a bucket throughbut it was also 8' deep and 6' under to the goods. Myfriend Jack asked: "How in the hell are we going todig that one?" and I said "Just as long as you canpull buckets we're going to get er done". Down wewent 8' and then started going under. At about 3' inI hit a big clunk, it was a very nice crude oldcircle Cutter in a deep amber color with a huge top,first bottle.

The hole ended up producing 20 wholeembossed early 70s 5ths and 29 early blob sodas.There were dozens of busted 5ths and sodas in thehole. It almost appeared that the guy that consumedthe stuff was mixing the soda with the bourbon. Thehole ended up producing 14 circle Cutters, 1 JohnGold Dust, 2 Mid Crown Cutters, 2 Shoulder CrownCutters & 1 S.H.M. What a friggin great hole it was.

Intrigued by the volume and quality of the bottles Iresearched the property and found out the town Judgehad resided here some 110 years earlier. Out of the14 circle Cutters 9 were dead mint. They ranged incolors from light amber to dark and one was olive. Isold the olive one like a dumb shit because I wasdigging so many bottles back in those days it feltlike it would last forever.

A friend of minepurchased the olive colored bottle and recentlybrought it to me to run on eBay for him. It'scurrently listed and ends on 8/12 if you'd like tohave a better look at it, item #270438875628.